Water Conservation

Follow your city or township's ordinance, and water only during the early morning or late evening hours. This reduces water lost to evaporation. Efficiently watering can reduce water usage by 15 percent, or nearly 7,600 gallons each year. Learn more at the University of Minnesota Extension's Water-Saving Strategies for Home Lawns page.  

Lawns only need 1 inch of water (including rain) per week. Smart irrigation controllers save water by automatically adjusting irrigation scheduling based on weather. Save up to 15,000 gallons annually by using a WaterSense-labeled smart irrigation controller. For more information, go to the EPA's WaterSen​se Labeled Controllers page.

Your city could help offset the controller cost. Visit the following city websites to see rebates available for these water-saving devices.

• Apple Valley
• Burnsville
• Eagan
• Farmington
• Lakeville
• Northfield
• Rosemount

Check your irrigation system parts. This includes sprinkler heads, valves and controllers for breaks and leaks. Look for sprinkler heads that do not pop up fully or are tilted. Redirect sprinkler heads, so they are not watering any hard surfaces. You could be losing up to 25,000 gallons over a six-month irrigation season due to leaks.

Learn how to spruce-up your sprinkler on the EPA's Sprinkler Spruce-Up page.

Watering too much keeps grass roots short and leaves them unable to handle periods of drought. Improve your lawn's drought resilience by following the cycle and soak method. Wet soil to a depth of 6–8 inches, allowing time for water to infiltrate soils. Then, wait a week to water again. Program your Smart Controller to make this process happen each time you irrigate.

Native, regionally appropriate plants require little water beyond normal rainfall. Kentucky Bluegrass (our most common turf variety) is not native to our region. Fine fescue grass species thrive in our climate with very little irrigation required. Reimagine Your Lawn to include grass varieties that are native to our region, requiring less water, mowing and fertilizer.

Water running off your landscape and roof becomes stormwater runoff that can harm local water bodies as it picks up pollutants. Raingardens preserve water on your landscape.  They help reduce stormwater runoff and the need for supplemental irrigation. For more information, see the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District Landscaping for Clean Water Program.

Prevent stormwater runoff and save water by collecting rainwater from your roof in barrels. Then,  reuse it for watering lawns and gardens.   An inch of rain that falls on 1,000 square feet of water-resistant surface creates about 600 gallons of runoff. A single rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months. Check out Dakota County's Rain Barrel page for information on buying or making your own.

Simple acts make a big difference.

• Aerating your lawn every other year. It prevents soil compaction (improving root growth) and helps water infiltrate.
• Leaving grass clippings on your lawn. It provides natural fertilizer, minimizes runoff and improves soil quality.
• Maintain a 3-inch mower height. This keeps soils cooler, shades weed seeds and allows deeper root establishment, making your lawn more drought resistant.

Learn more on the University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science Team's Mowing practices for healthy lawns. ​

Average household leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year — the equivalent of more than 270 laundry loads. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Common household leaks involve worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves. Place a few drops of food dye in the toilet tank. If the dye appears in the toilet bowl, the flapper is leaking and wasting water. For more information on how to check for and fix a leak, go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Fix a Leak Week website.

Showering accounts for 17 percent of indoor water use. Save water by taking shorter showers or replacing your shower head with a WaterSense-labeled model. The EPA estimates that replacing one showerhead can save up to 2,700 gallons of water every year. Check with your natural gas provider to see if their energy audit provide free low-flow shower heads. For more information, visit the EPA's Better Shower website.

Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 8 gallons of water daily and up to 10 gallons of water per shave. For more information, visit the EPA's Start Saving website.

Running the dishwater only when full can eliminate one load of dishes per week, saving 320 gallons annually. For more information on how to save, go to the EPA's Start Saving website.

The average family washes 300 loads of laundry each year. Reducing one load per week could save up to 2,000 gallons yearly. Replacing your washer with an Energy Star-labeled model could reduce water usage by 30 percent compared to regular washers. For more information, go to Energy Star's Clothes Washers page. ​